Regulator first stage chatters when I breathe

[Kublai]

Regulator started chattering today when I breathed on it. Definitely coming from first stage. Eventually stopped at depth. No functional issues, but it is weird. Same pattern on scond dive of the day. Chatterd while checking on the boat, chattered when I entered the water. Chattered when I filled the BCD. Stopped chattering at depth (~70 feet).

Just had it serviced a week ago. What do we think is going on?

Sea Elite regulator, from Diver's Supply. . .

 

[Nemrod]

Regulator started chattering today when I breathed on it. Definitely coming from first stage. Eventually stopped at depth. No functional issues, but it is weird. Same pattern on scond dive of the day. Chatterd while checking on the boat, chattered when I entered the water. Chattered when I filled the BCD. Stopped chattering at depth (~70 feet).

Just had it serviced a week ago. What do we think is going on?

Sea Elite regulator, from Diver's Supply. . .

The key to this is that you just had it serviced. Typical. You might consider taking it to another store though best to determine first if they actually have a good reputation for servicing regulators. If it is a piston type regulator it might be improper lubrication. Wrong parts, missing parts, incorrectly installed parts? IP correct? If you think the retail dive store that serviced it has the ability, then give them another chance, but get an explanation.

I have taken so many regulators apart that were simply butchered by 'knowledgeable' techs who were really just a retail clerks. Do they have the service equipment or do they have a pair of pliers?

N

 

[KD8NPB]

A little lubrication goes a long way. With that being said, I'm always sure to put a tiny dab of Tribolube on the shaft of the HP seat where it rubs against that tinnnyy little o-ring / backup o-ring.

For a piston regulator, don't be stingy on the lube. That monster o-ring has to overcome a lot of surface resistance to move back and forth.

 

[Capt.Gene]

Did you change the mouthpiece?
You can negate proper service work by installing an aftermarket mouthpiece that restricts air flow.
I keep seeing Comfo Bite's installed with the yellow insert still in place, effectively reducing the size of the air tube opening by about 50%. This pretty much takes performance design engineering of the reg into the failure mode.

 

[Kublai]

Sorry for the delay in responding, Capt. Gene. I have not changed the mouthpiece. . .

 

[jIM STEELE]

lube flip first stage ajust. spring

---------- Post added January 4th, 2013 at 05:46 PM ----------

have shop do it only take 5 min

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Did you change the mouthpiece?
You can negate proper service work by installing an aftermarket mouthpiece that restricts air flow.
I keep seeing Comfo Bite's installed with the yellow insert still in place, effectively reducing the size of the air tube opening by about 50%. This pretty much takes performance design engineering of the reg into the failure mode.

That was an issue with the Scubapro Pilot. It had very high flow and was a very sensitive second stage, so a mouthpiece with a smaller opening - or even a diver with larger than average front teeth - could cause it to chatter.

Similarly, some of the cheaper generic mouthpieces with think bite tabs can set up similar problems with high performance second stages by leaving the divers teeth very close together.

---------- Post added January 5th, 2013 at 12:21 PM ----------

Sea Elite regulator, from Diver's Supply. . .

Sea elite markets both unbalanced piston and balanced diaphragm first stages.

With the former, the issue would be inadequate lube of the piston stem or piston head o-ring (the only dynamic o-rings in the first stage). With the latter, the issue would *probably* be inadequate lubrication of the seat stem and o-ring.

 

[Diver0001]

Just had it serviced a week ago. What do we think is going on?

It's a vibration. It's not dangerous but it's irritating as hell.

Take it back. Complain. Make them fix it. You have a "low performance" regulator, so it should be a simple case of lubricating the innards of the 1st stage, which they should have been aware of, and should have done, during normal servicing.

R..

 

[halocline]

That was an issue with the Scubapro Pilot. It had very high flow and was a very sensitive second stage, so a mouthpiece with a smaller opening - or even a diver with larger than average front teeth - could cause it to chatter.

Interesting, recently I had a dive with one of my converted pilots where it didn't actually chatter, but there was some vibration right at the beginning of a breath, usually when I was 'sipping' air. It was like the initial air flow wasn't smooth. I ended up putting a new poppet in it, which stopped the problem and actually improved performance. It had one of the all-plastic poppets, I replaced it with a metal one.

 

[Nemrod]

Interesting, recently I had a dive with one of my converted pilots where it didn't actually chatter, but there was some vibration right at the beginning of a breath, usually when I was 'sipping' air. It was like the initial air flow wasn't smooth. I ended up putting a new poppet in it, which stopped the problem and actually improved performance. It had one of the all-plastic poppets, I replaced it with a metal one.

The Pilot is servo assisted isn't it? My Teknas and Omega IIs which are both servo assisted regulators would flutter at shallow depths when sipping air. It is like a feedback from the pilot valve not following the human requirement because the air flow can be very large, larger than needed. I am not feeling I am describing that well but ---.

N